'The Grinch' Commandeers Amazon's Treasure Truck

'The Grinch' Commandeers Amazon's Treasure Truck

Amazon tied in to the Nov. 9 theatrical release of Universal Pictures' Dr. Seuss' The Grinch by putting a new spin on its Treasure Truck strategy in the U.K.

While shoppers taking advantage of the mobile fleet generally receive a text message indicating what item is available for sale that day, Amazon turned that process on its head in the mischievous spirit of the Grinch who stole Christmas.

The promotional premise the retailer put forth is that the Grinch ransacked an Amazon warehouse and took over the Treasure Truck to give away all of the goodies for free. The catch is that the exact item a participant might get is a mystery and can range from a shiny new Fire tablet to a silly whoopee cushion.

Decked out in Grinch green, the truck visited locations in London, Birmingham and Manchester. An A-board promoted the freebies, with queues stretching long and inventory often running out before the scheduled closing time, according to frustrated Twitter users.

In addition to the freebies, the truck stops included a snow globe station for taking selfies with a life-size model of the grumpy character.

Twitter updates from the Treasure Truck's U.K. account supported.

The Treasure Truck first launched in 2016 in Seattle, since then expanding to a fleet covering 25 U.S. cities and 12 in the U.K.